Top News

The transfer window has shut now, but Tottenham can still address one major problem by turning to one of their most exciting young talents.

After an active summer in the market, Tottenham Hotspur have finished their business, yet injuries to James Maddison and Xavi Simons have left the Lilywhites light in one particular area.

Spurs appear to have strengthened almost every department of the squad except central attacking midfield, or the No.10 position. Jan Paul Van Hecke and Marcos Senesi have arrived in defence, Matheus Fernandes and £100m signing Sandro Tonali form the new midfield duo, while Savio and Omar Marmoush bring added class to Roberto De Zerbi’s forward line.

But with deadline day now gone, De Zerbi may be regretting not bringing in a creative playmaker. Even so, the answer may already be within the club.

Tottenham supporters had waited a long time to see James Maddison back on the pitch after a run of injuries last season. They finally got that sight when the 29-year-old appeared from the bench in the opening-day defeat to Brentford, but fresh worries quickly followed.

After the match, De Zerbi confirmed that Maddison had “suffered a small injury in his shoulder,” and it is believed he may be sidelined for at least a couple of weeks. Speaking to the club website, the Spurs head coach added: “I think with James, we have to find the right plan… We have to work consistently for three, four weeks, and then he's a different player - a different player on the pitch, outside the pitch.”

That underlines the issue clearly: Maddison has completed only five full 90-minute matches for Spurs since joining the club in 2023. That is a serious concern, especially when Tottenham’s other option in that role, Xavi Simons, is unavailable until at least early 2027 after suffering the same ACL injury as Maddison, only seven months later.

There is at least one encouraging note from Tottenham’s current injury situation, with Dejan Kulusevski finally back in full training after spending more than 15 months out. Spurs will need to handle the Swedish star carefully, but he could yet take on that No.10 role once he returns to his best level.

For now, it appears Matheus Fernandes will be asked to fill the void, but that is far from an ideal solution and not the position he was brought in to play.

Having signed so many players this summer and reshaped the squad to suit De Zerbi’s preferences, many expected a number 10 to be one of the arrivals. That did not happen.

Morgan Gibbs-White had been linked with Tottenham for a long time, but he remained at Nottingham Forest. At the same time, players such as Cody Gakpo and Iliman Ndiaye were heavily discussed as possible signings, and both could have reduced the burden in the area behind the striker. However, the Liverpool forward stayed at Anfield, while Ndiaye ended up joining Manchester City at the last moment.

Tottenham may instead move for a playmaker in January, but by then the question will be whether it is already too late. Spurs have the quality in the squad to compete near the top this season, but a lack of proper options in the No.10 position could hold them back.

Yet Tottenham may already possess the solution, and it is right in front of Roberto De Zerbi. Although the Italian coach clearly leans towards experience above all else, especially proven Premier League quality, he has also shown a liking for Tottenham teenager Luca Williams-Barnett, who operates centrally as an attacking midfielder or forward.

Supporters in N17 are already speaking highly of the 17-year-old, and with good reason. He has progressed rapidly through the youth system and has been on the fringes of the first team since the second half of last season. A strong pre-season, featuring plenty of minutes, has pushed Williams-Barnett’s reputation even higher, and he has already made an appearance for the Lilywhites this campaign in the 5-1 Carabao Cup win over Charlton, coming on after 78 minutes.

Spurs have a history of producing highly rated youngsters. Harry Kane is the standout example, but Alfie Devine, Dane Scarlett, Troy Parrott, Harry Winks and Oliver Skipp all had attempts to make their mark in North London and ultimately fell short of making the required impact. Mikey Moore and Jamie Donley may still manage it, but both are currently out on loan, which leaves Williams-Barnett as the most exciting prospect at the club right now.

Giving the teenager meaningful minutes this season would not simply be a symbolic move. He unquestionably has the ability required to become Tottenham’s next major academy success. Williams-Barnett’s game features dazzling dribbling, outstanding vision, and a remarkable swagger and flair for someone so young. He is the sort of maverick talent Tottenham — and in truth any club — would dream of producing. Allowing him to spend this season merely treading water in the reserves would be a huge waste.

Spurs cannot afford to let another gifted young player stand still until he chooses to leave in search of first-team football. Instead, De Zerbi should embrace the energy and fearlessness that Williams-Barnett offers and give this raw talent the platform to grow. A touch of youth could be exactly what is needed to balance a side that is otherwise very experienced.

Williams-Barnett is the type of footballer capable of creating moments of magic, which is something Spurs have badly lacked over the past couple of years. With Maddison and Simons both injured, it would surely make sense to hand a homegrown player his chance rather than force other midfielders into a role that does not suit them.

The fans would love to see Williams-Barnett given an opportunity, the player himself would almost certainly respond to the challenge, and it may well prove to be the sort of decision that saves Tottenham tens of millions of pounds.